Autoimmune Life Blog

Juana Mata’s symptoms started with joint pain that came and went. Then she noticed a rash on her face. When she started getting ulcers in her mouth and nose a few months later, she went to urgent care.

Before BRI Lab Aide Noah Biru had degrees in engineering and biochemistry — and was headed to Yale to pursue a PhD in immunology — he was a little kid who wanted to help his mom.

Most people have about 21 square feet of skin — and inside your skin is an entire world called the microbiome. This world includes many different types of bacteria, viruses and fungi.

Since the pandemic started, BRI researchers have been hard at work trying to understand COVID-19’s biggest mysteries — like why people have such different responses to the virus and how it affects people with autoimmune disease.

We’ve been living in a world of COVID-19 for over a year. In the face of a pandemic, BRI’s vision — a healthy immune system for everyone — has become more important than ever. We’re so thankful for the incredible support from you, our community.

In August 2020, BRI Research Nurse Anna Barash, RN, gave some of the earliest doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to people in Washington. That day, she was laser-focused on following every step of a detailed protocol. The impact of her work didn’t sink in until later.

When Micah Mansfield learned that he could help scientists better understand the immune system through the Sound Life Project, he didn’t think twice about signing up.

Raising a child with type 1 diabetes takes patience. Blood sugars rise and fall unpredictably, affecting nearly every aspect of daily life. It takes attention to detail.

James Lord, MD, PhD, has a simple way of explaining the immune system. “It’s not a homogenous pot of stew,” he says. “It’s a carefully orchestrated dance, and doing the right thing at the right time is critical. But it’s very hard to predict the choreography.”

In the race for a COVID-19 vaccine, messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines finished first. This includes those made by Pfizer and Moderna. These vaccines use a new approach to fight off pathogens (germs like viruses and bacteria).